Will's Rumminations
by SpiritOfSherwood
Summary: My first FanFic at last! Will has problems eating away at his heart at night. Fear that he will lose everyone he loves who hasn't died yet - that includes Djaq who has demons of her own. Will-centric. Full summary within. Please review! I mean it! REVIEW!


**Disclaimer: I do ****not**** own Robin Hood or any of the characters mentioned in the following. SPOILER ALERT FOR SERIES 1 AND 2!**

**This is my first FanFic s****o don't expect anything special because it is a bit rushed. I am a big Will/Djaq fan and this might sound a lot like the other Will/Djaq FanFic on this site but anyhoo. Onward with Will's Ruminations. The difference is that this is from Will's POV rather than Djaq's and he has problems dealing with his past – problems that he can only confide to Djaq who has demons of her own. It is set in the evening after the episode "Get Carter" in series 2. Sorry if the dialogue isn't quite right. **

Will's Ruminations

A light breeze swayed the leaves in the trees of Sherwood Forest and the evening summer sun cast a pleasant glow on the camp stained green by the leaves. The Gang had gone back into a state of relative ease after Carter had left for the Holy Land. Little John was sitting in a quiet corner rubbing his quarterstaff, Much was muttering fervently in the kitchen trying to get his famous "Not Squirrel" stew to cook just right, Djaq was dozing in her bunk with a small smile on her face and Will was busying himself by making arrows. Even Robin and Marian had made up for the days misunderstandings at Clun and were talking happily by the camps entrance.

As the evening drew in, the Gang gathered round the fire to eat. Much passed around rough wooden bowls filled with a meaty stew and soon the scent of hot food wafted around the whole camp adding to the very affable atmosphere in the camp.

"So Much" asked Marian "what's in the stew?"

"Lamb!" said Much proudly. Robin sniffed his stew and laughed. "Old friend we laud your efforts to keep the squirrel population down but this meat is unlike any lamb that I've ever tasted!" This was met by a round of hearty laughs from the assembled outlaws. Even Little John smiled for a moment before returning to his gruff composure as though he had done something wrong.

Will Scarlett listened loosely to the conversation going around the circle but not really caring about what was being said. Much was losing ground in his fight to establish the origin of the meat in his stew. Will was thinking about possible alternate outcomes to this day. Instead of eating with his friends he could have been left dead in the Forest, bound and gagged with Djaq and the other outlaws to be killed by Carter. God be thanked that Robin had managed to knock out Carter before he got his chance. He also thought of the day when the King returned and the Sheriff and Prince John cast down along with Gisborne and the Black Knights. What would he do then? He had not been promised his own land like Much. Will had always supposed that he would go to Scarborough and start carpentry there with his brother Luke but then -. That would mean leaving Sherwood, leaving his friends, leaving Djaq.

The thought of leaving her tore a hole in him. He could live a life in Scarborough with his brother and uncle but what would that life be without Djaq? She had changed his life for the better. Despite their different upbringings, different faiths, different outlooks on life. Will had grown very close to this amazing woman and over the past few months he had started to feel much more for her than friendship. But he knew that she could never love him back the way he did. He was merely a carpenter turned Outlaw. Will chanced a glance at Djaq. The late evening light had illuminated her tanned skin and short black hair while the dark highlighted the contours of her face. Sensing that she was being watched, Djaq raised her head and for a moment her soulful brown eyes made contact with Will's. She smiled at him briefly before turning her attention back to her meal. Will sat back against a great oak tree slowing his heart before smiling to himself. To think that when he first met her he thought that she was the source of the dreaded "Turk Flu" The Sheriff may be still be at large and England at threat but he felt just fine. To him the only way to feel that now after his father's death was to be with her.

By now most of the Outlaws had retired to their bunks except for Robin who was outside on sentry duty. Wills bunk shook and creaked as Little John hauled himself into the bunk above him. Much was already asleep near the kitchen in his own bunk. Occasionally he would give out a quiet snore and maybe mumble a thing or two about how hungry he was but that was normal. Marian was curled up in her hammock near the fire. Will turned and chanced a look to the back of the camp where Djaq slept. Djaq was sitting upright in her bunk, her eyes shone in the darkness. She noticed his quiet wonder and smiled at him. Will suddenly felt very embarrassed and his face burned red. Did she know? The rational part of him hoped that she didn't but a deeper bit of him hoped that she did. He had wanted to confide his feelings to her for a long time now. Sometimes the urge to shout them out was nearly unbearable. With his mind as a maelstrom of emotion and feelings, Will let the night take him.

It was raining in Locksley on the day that Jane Scarlett died. A fourteen year old Will was woken by a bestial animal howl from the next room. Dan was cradling her head with his right hand and the stump of his left. Tears were streaming down his face as he begged her to wake up. Luke was staring mutely in blank shock. She was so thin that she looked skeletal. The weeks of not eating so her sons could had finally taken its toll. The scene melted and rematerialised into another.

Harsh light burned overhead in the morning. The courtyard of Nottingham castle was full of people. Castle Guards were hefting wooding barricades into position at Pitt Street. Somewhere distant the voice of Gisborne shouted impatiently. "Set up those barricades!" Standing before the people was the Sheriff. Grinning like a well fed lizard. Will was being moved towards Pitt Street by Little John but Will could hear a voice that made him stop. The voice of his father: Dan Scarlett.

"SHERIFF THIS IS NOT RIGHT!" he bellowed. "SHUT UP!" screamed the Sheriff in response. "THIS 'AINT THE PESTILENCE ITS"- he was cut off as a guard grabbed him and plunged a dagger deep into his back. "DAN!" screamed Will as the crowd began to scream and panic as they jostled to get out of the courtyard for fear that they might be next. The next minute was a blur of rage and hatred as Will tried to make for the Sheriff but was restrained by Robin and John's combined strength and the balm of Djaq's touch.

He was taken now to another place. Now He and the outlaws were fighting in the middle of Locksley with Castle Guards. Dozens, hundreds – Thousands of them were filling the hills around them. Locksley was burning and the acrid smell of woodsmoke made Will gasp and choke. Little John was roaring a challenge to at least twelve guards. He was pierced with many arrows yet he fought like a man possessed and his staff found its mark many times before he fell. Robin was firing arrow after arrow into the wall of black chainmail and steel blades. A grimace could be seen on his face under the hood he was wearing. For each man that Robin took down then another would take his place. The last that Will saw of Robin was him standing in the middle of a mob of the guards shouting "For England!"

"MASTER!" screamed Much. He ploughed into the guards to retrieve Robin's corpse but he could not fight them all and he was the next to die.

Marian herself was tied up with several of the faceless foes. Having lost her sword she had resorted to the elaborate fighting style that she used when she was the Nightwatchman. She lasted a few moments before she too disappeared beneath a wall of bodies.

Will was busy chopping his way through another enemy with his axe when he saw Djaq corned against a burning barn by a dozen guards. "DJAQ!" he shouted. He had lost his friends and his Mother and Father but he wasn't going to lose her. Will turned to run to her aid, uncaring of the wall of steel between them. Will felt his axe sink into another helmet as he worked his way towards her. For a brief moment the guards could not touch him for fear. But a sudden dull pain in his back stopped him. The world had seemingly slowed down and all sound had stopped. Will looked down at his chest and he saw a blade protruding from his front and a red stain was rapidly spreading across his front. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud and standing over him was Allan, his sword was slick with Will's blood. "Not being funny by I'm Gisborne's man now" he said and he walked off. With his eyes darkening, the last thing Will saw was Djaq being pierced by many blades.

Will sprang up in shock at the things he had just so vividly witnessed. Her cries still rang in his ears. It was late at night and the stars twinkled through the leaves of the trees and the moon shone in a crescent high above. Apart from that, the only other light was the dying embers of the fire. It had been a series of terrible, terrible nightmares. He shivered despite the fact it was late summer and his face was covered in a sheet of cold sweat. He sat still and he sobbed silently when he saw Djaq. She was breathing quietly and her chest was rising and falling evenly like it was supposed to. He muttered a silent and heartfelt thanks to God that she was still alive.

"Will?" a voice called tentatively, "are you alright?" He jumped slightly has he heard her voice" Djaq had woken up and was walking towards him, a concerned look on her face. "I'm fine" he managed hoarsely. "What is it? You were restless"

"A dream"

"Bad?" Will could only nod. "The days my parents died on" Djaq sat down next to him and looked into his eyes with a meaningful stare. She took his hand and could sense that that was not all. The walls cracked and Will buried his face in his hands. "I . . . saw Locksley burning. We were all there trying to fight off the guards but there were too many. John died first then Robin and Much then Marian. Allan killed me and the last thing I saw before waking up was you dying" Djaq took his hands in hers and for a few minutes they just sat there in silence, each feeling the comforting warmth of the other.

"I have lost family too Will" said Djaq quietly, "My Mother disappeared and my Father and Brother were killed by Crusaders. Now it was her turn to cry. Her small body shook with old grief. She leaned into him for comfort and so did he. The just held each other and slowly rocked back and forth until their tears stopped. Will felt warmth seeping through his body as Djaq curled up next to him and hugged him in a tight embrace. Feeling relieved of his demons, he kissed her gently on the forehead and laid his head down on his pillow. A smile came to her lips and she opened her eyes. "I thought you never would Will Scarlett" she whispered and closed her eyes. They were still holding onto each other when they fell asleep.

Marian got up and silently left her hammock. She grabbed her bow and raised her sky-blue hood over her head before going to relieve Robin of his night watch. Much was snoring away in his corner but she could not see Djaq in her bed. Marian surveyed the camp and saw Djaq and Will locked in a gentle embrace in Will's bunk. Marian allowed herself to smile for the first time since her father died. They looked so peaceful like this. Swiftly, she went to relieve Robin, to become the true Nightwatchman.

Robin stood tall and grim next to a gnarled oak tree with his bow in hand and an arrow nocked to the string, keeping watch. "Any minute soon" he thought to himself "just a little bit longer until Marian comes" A rustling of leafy footsteps behind him confirmed Marian's arrival. "Morning Robin" called Marian. She looked as though she had something to tell him. "Come and look at this" she motioned for him to follow her back into the camp. When Robin saw Will and Djaq together he smiled. "Do you think we should wake them?" asked Marian "Much would give them the ribbing of their lives"

"Leave them be. They will get up long before he does. He gets up so late he might as well go back to sleep. Let them have their time together"

"See you in the morning then Robin" said Marian as she trotted out into the night" Robin got back into his own bunk and soon enough the camp was silent again save for Much's snoring.

The End

**I hope you enjoyed that. Please review as your opinions are welcome.**** Constructive criticism is also appreciated. I will be back soon with some more Robin Hood stuff when I find the time and maybe one or two crossovers.**


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